Indonesia launched its universal healthcare program in January 2014, a process that had been initiated in 2004. The scheme, Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional or JKN, is administered by a public agency called Badan Penyelenggara Jamina Sosial  or BPJS Health and is expected to cover all citizens by 2019. Wi

(HITAP, Thailand) On 23-25 January 2017, delegates from the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, visited HITAP to learn about the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) system in Thailand. During the discussion, the application of the Thai expe

In the global scheme of medicines provision, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face difficulties in ensuring medicine access. Aside from the improvements still needed to healthcare infrastructure, financing, and service delivery, these countries also face issues in prioritizing their health s

Universal Health Compassion for Universal Health CoverageThai efforts to help Indonesia take efficient steps towards UHCJakarta: As we fly over the clear blue Java Sea, I notice the sand from a few scattered islands sloping into the clear waters. I glance again towards my right shoulder at the trave

Vietnam visit 30th and 31st May 2017It feels good to see familiar faces when you are in a new place and I felt the same meeting officials from Health Strategy Planning Institution (HSPI), Ministry of Health of Vietnam once again. I had met them earlier during the HTAsiaLink conference held in April

Bhutan’s national and also the oldest newspaper named ‘Kuensel’ from the Kuensel Corporation Limited published a story featuring, our support to the Bhutanese government in evaluating new vaccines through an economic evaluation, in their issue of 28th August 2017 http://www.kuenselonline.com/moh-exp

Development cannot be contained in a numerical measure of Gross National Product/Gross Domestic Product (GNP/GDP), conceding this the UN gave a universal call to its member nations for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG 3 explicitly states “ensuring healthy lives and promote well-bein

The recent Indonesia visit is an illustration of iDSI’s ongoing commitment to building capacity in developing countries. HITAP visits help national bodies learn how to conduct Health Technology Assessments, strengthening decision-making processes and enabling gains in the quantity and quality of hea

How can countries build the systems that can deliver universal health coverage whilst juggling a whole host of challenges, constraints and demands? The short answer? They need to make choices, smart choices that are built on careful and evidence-based priority setting practices.

Post-graduation from Gavi support in 2016, the Bhutan Health Trust Fund took up investment for vaccine provision in the country according to its mandate. The Fund also aims to “eliminate financing uncertainties for priority core components of the Primary Health Care Services out of the income genera